Capturing a Bride, Capturing his Heart
by mistress-reebi
Summary: In 1698, pirates raided the town of Dieppe, ruining a wedding. The Captain kipnapped the bride, Ichigo, taking her on board his ship en route to the New World. Ichigo realizes that she isn't just another woman to the captain and tries to forget her fiancé
1. Chapter 1

"I can't believe it would rain on this day!" Ichigo screamed, stomping away from the window. Her chest was heavy, as if someone placed iron on top of it, and her body began to shake. She planted herself on a stool; her body was felt like it was on fire, while her face was as red as her hair. She fanned herself with her hands, but it didn't cool her down. 

"Calm down, it's your wedding day, which is a happy time." her younger sister, she called Pudding said, in a comforting tone. She placed a hand on her shoulder, rubbing her back, speaking in her cheerful voice, "Lettuce will be here soon, and the rain will stop."

"The ceremony will start soon!" Ichigo hissed, as she stood up, pacing back and forth, occasionally peeking out the window. "Where is she? She's my matron of honour!"

"You look beautiful, just like your mother." Her father commented, closing the door behind him. Ichigo ran towards him, as her eyes began to water. He gave her a hug, whispering, "If your mother was alive I'm sure she would be happy to see you in her dress. Don't worry; you will see him after he visits Versailles. There are several wars either ending and beginning it's hard for a musketeer to stay with his wife."

"I'm not worried about that, daddy, I'm worry about the rain and Lettuce not coming." Ichigo cried, trying to hold back the tears.

"Lettuce is your sister, of course she will be here." Her father reminded, handing her his handkerchief. "A bride shouldn't cry on her wedding day."

"Sorry I'm late!" Lettuce shouted, slamming the door behind her, racing towards Ichigo. "I haven't been feeling well this week, but it isn't something to worry about."

"All week!" Ichigo exclaimed, as her mouth opened in shock. "First, it rains on my wedding day, then my husband is leaving tomorrow for some "special mission", and now my sister has a fever!"

"Don't cry, Ichigo. I don't want to spoil your day, but I'm pregnant." Lettuce smiled, giving Ichigo a hug. "I'll tell everyone tomorrow."

"Are you girls almost ready?" Keiichiro asked, half in the doorway, half in the room, clinging unto the knob. "Ichigo, you look beautiful! Hurry up, sister, we don't want to be an hour late like Lettuce's wedding." He added, closing the door on himself.

"That's amazing!" Her father cheered, as his face lit up with joy. "The first grandchild in the family! You girls get ready; I'll be waiting for you in the hallway." He said, patting his daughters' heads, before exiting the room.

Ichigo let out a deep breath, calming herself down. Her heart no longer pounded in her chest like a beating drum. Turning around, she picked the dress off of the chair, handing it over to her sister. Ichigo was a tad envious of her sister's and her brother-in-law's relationship. He owned a café on the same street as the bakery her family owned, while Ichigo's fiancé joined the musketeers two years ago. They saw each other every day in their childhood, but now she was lucky to see him every six month. The only communication they had was to write a letters to each other everyday, but when she got a chance to see him, she treasured that time.

"Are you ready, Lettuce?" Ichigo growled, yanking her bouquet from the table, marching towards the door, with her hands on her hips. "If you aren't ready this second, we're leaving without you!"

"She's almost ready; have patience." Pudding answered, picking up her basket of wild flowers she picked herself. "Look she finished putting her dress on. You did a great job Ichigo on making these pretty dresses! Can you make my wedding dress?"

"Sure, but you have to wait until Keiichiro marries then in a few of years you can marry." Ichigo replied, opening the door to the hallway.

They entered the foyer where her father stood, waiting from them. He turned around, greeting his daughters with a smile on his face, practically crying tears of joy. Her hands began to shake, letting out smile that filled her face, resembling the same face as her fathers. She waited for this day her whole life, and she wasn't this excited until she got a letter from him asking for her hand in marriage. Pudding was the first to walk down the aisle; she scattered the pedals, gracefully, as they floated before descending to the floor. When Lettuce left for the aisle, Ichigo's trembling hand was placing around her fathers arm. Her legs felt as if shackles were dragging her down, as she took tiny steps towards the aisle. People from each seat arose, whispering to each other, but had their eyes glued to her. Ichigo paused, as her body became agitated, and she could no longer drag her feet up. The pit of her stomach consumed her; she knew something wasn't right.

A window smashed, shattering into pieces, while another did the exact same. Screams of horror filled the church, as the people dashed underneath the pews. Her father dragged her into the foyer, as the groom ran behind, following them. Tears dipped down her face, as her body became numb. This was her special day, and now it's ruined.

"Ichigo are you alright?" he asked, looking into her watery eyes, as she nodded.

The front door slammed open, as unwanted visitors swarmed inside, carrying swords in their hands, shouting a terrifying chant. Ichigo grabbed unto her fiancés arm, burying her face, crying, "What do they want, Masaya?" He wrapped an arm around her waist, while he let one free, facing her father, demanding, "Get me a sword, and I will protect everyone." Her father nodded, dashing out into the pouring rain.

The screams continued to yell, accompanied by sounds of objects breaking, and fire crackling. Her heart ripped into two; she wanted to marry Masaya before he left for his special mission, and now her dream of becoming his bride is destroyed. Tomorrow he would leave, and she wasn't sure when or if he would come back. She crossed her eyebrows, as the tears stopped. Pushing him away, she turned around, growling, "You bastards ruined my day!"

A slender man stood in front of him. He wore a cloth, concealing his face; only his dreary eyes the colour of the sun, gleamed down at them. His skin reminded her of death, as well as his stance. He carried in his hand a musket, aiming it at Masaya.

"Hand 'er over to me." He spoke, in a strange accent she hadn't heard before. Masaya stepped in front of Ichigo, placing an arm out.

"You realize that you're up against a musketeer." He smirked, starring at the mysterious man. "We'll have a duel using swords. If I win, you have to leav-"

"And if I win, I get yer bride." He interrupted, placing his gun off to the side, unsheathing his daggers. "You don't got a sword so I win."

"'You don't have a sword', learn how to speak." Masaya hissed, narrowing his eyes at him. "I will never make a bet with her! If you win, which is highly unlikely, you can keep the gifts."

"Fine," He bargained, throwing a dagger at Masaya, letting him borrow it for the duel.

Masaya caught the dagger, and ran towards him, slashing at him. The man blocked his attack, holding him off as he stepped backwards. Masaya took another stabbed but was the man blocked again, kicking him in the stomach. He grunted, but still stood, filled with more anger. The man took advantage of his yelp of pain and stabbed is shoulder, causing the dagger to fall.

"Masaya!" Ichigo called out, placing her hands to her mouth. "Fight back! This jerk ruined our wedding!"

Masaya glared at the man, with fire in his eyes. He threw a punch, channeling all of his anger into the hit. The man ducked, swinging his sword across, slashing his stomach, then pushed him to the side, watching him collapse unto the ground. He dropped his dagger, reaching for his musket.

"Don't kill him!" Ichigo screamed, as she began to weep. "Take everything you want, just not his life!"

"Very well," He agreed, scooping his daggers off of the floor, tucking them inside his belt. He stepped over Masaya, pacing towards her, with his boots stomping on the floor. He grabbed her wrists, yanking her towards his body, then placed her over his shoulders, with her arms dangling on one side, like a barbarian.

"I'll take you." He spoke, placing an arm around legs, supporting her up, as he ran out of the church.

"Let me go!" She hollered, scrunching her hands into fists, punching his back, repeatedly. "Where do you think you're taking me?"

"You said I take everything I want and I want you." He informed, trotting down the streets towards the harbour. "I'm taking you on ma ship."

"I meant the presents, moron!" She growled, kicking her legs into his chest. "I'm already taken!"

"That man put his seed in you!" The man asked, hostilely, halting his running, pausing for a moment.

"No, we aren't even married yet because you ruined it!" She replied, reaching around his belt, pulling the one of the daggers out. "Put me down or I'll stab you."

"Good, I want no used woman." He answered, moving her into his arm, letting go of her legs, looking at her face, and then yanking the dagger from her hand. "You realize I can kill you, so don't do anything funny."

"I'll only be yours if you tell me your name." She hissed, placing her fingers on his cloth covering his face. "If you tell me your real name I won't take this mask off until we board the ship."

"Call me Quiche." He responded, shoving the dagger into his belt, using his free arm to carry her into his arms. "I don't tell anyone my name."

"Then everyone in this town will know your identity." She threatened, raising an eyebrow.

"Only the captain knows my real name." He grunted, sprinting towards the docks. "Take it off then because you ain't gonna know."

"Fine!" She snapped, pulling the cloth off, but it was too late, they were already on board the ship.

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AN: I don't know when I will update this story, probably never, so I hope you enjoy this. The title may change. I didn't reseach weddings in France in the 1600s, but I presume the churches were only one room, which is the opposite to this story.


	2. Chapter 2

Ichigo lifted her eyes, slowly, as the blurry image in front of her eventually cleared up. A wall stood metres in front of her, while a door was off to the left. Raising herself up, she felt a soft surface at the palm of her hands, feeling like an animal, which caused her to jump. She darted her eyes to the surface, seeing skin of an animal on top of a bed, which fit two people. Looking around the room, she saw an armoire located beside the door, and a circular window on the opposite wall to the door. The only light from the room came from two candles standing on tables from each side of the bed, which illuminated the room clearly. She moved herself to the side of the bed, dropping her feet unto the floor. Another animal skin was placed as if it were a rug. She glanced out of the window, in hope of wondering where she was, but only saw dark fog, blanketing her vision. Pacing towards the armoire, she noticed that the furniture was bolted to the wooden floor. She opened one of the doors to the armoire, something she had never seen before, admiring it. Another animal skin, this time in coat form, was in there, making her think, "What's with all of these animal prints," while other miscellaneous men's clothing hung.

The door swung open, as a body stumbled into the room. Ichigo quickly closed the armoire, starring at the body with her eyes wide open. The body crawled up the door with one hand, holding a bottle of liquid, almost gone, in the other. He stepped towards her with a dazed face, swaying his body with each step he took.

"You wake up." He said, slurring the words together, and with his accent she barely understood him. "Now, time for sex!"

"I'm not sleeping with you!" She hissed, slapping Quiche across the check, causing him to collapse unto the floor. "Take me back to Dieppe!"

"Dee-ap?" He asked, still in a daze, placing his hand on the bed, while attempting to lift himself up. "Where eez zat?"

"The place you kidnapped me!" She hollered. He may have had an accent, reflecting his lower class, but while he was intoxicated the truth that he was speaking in a second language was revealed.

"Oh, I dunt know where zat is, but I no let du go away!" He spoke, waddling towards her, clinging unto the bed for support, chugging down the rest of the bottle, "You ma woman!"

"I'm not your woman, and I think you had enough to drink." She answered, in a less hostile tone, as she put an arm around his shoulder, lifting him up. "You better go to sleep, and when you wake up I'm not playing your nurse!"

"Nurse, zat a good idea!" He smiled, making his way over towards the head of the bed. "I like woman who play dem nurse in bed. I drink because ma nineteenth birthday is soon! Four months today!"

Ichigo shoved him unto the bed, as her face scrunched up in anger, demanding, "Why did you pick me, anyways. I'm not the only girl in Dieppe!"

"Yous no used woman an you look like ma mum." He replied, rolling over to his side, dropping the bottle unto the bed. He placed his hands at the bottom of his shirt, lifting it up, squirming around, and attempting to take it off. "You clean in no fancy dress, wear ma shirt."

The rage in Ichigo's face was replaced with embarrassment, as she turned around, blushing. His face might have looked a little older than his age, but his upper body was youthful with lean muscles. The shirt flew from beside her, on an angle, landing thirty centimetres beside her. She scooped it off of the floor, turning around. He had lain on his side, with his eyes starring at her, smiling. Opening the armoire door, she hid behind it, hearing him groan in disappointment.

"Like I'm going to change right in front of you!" She snapped, slamming the bedroom door before undoing her dress. His shirt was long, reaching above her knees, in a cream colour and very loose. She paced from behind the armoire, with her dress covering the rest of the legs. Grabbing some pants from inside, she went behind the door again, trying them on. Surprisingly, they fit in the hips and waist, but the legs curled under her feet, so she rolled the bottoms.

"You can wear just my shirt." He informed. "That's what makes a wench fun when she cleans."

"It's quite alright." Ichigo answered, carefully placing her dress into the armoire. "I'll borrow your clothes until I find myself some fabric."

When she closed the doors she noticed Quiche went to sleep, passed out from the alcohol. Pacing towards the side of the bed, she picked the candle up moving over to the next one blowing it out. She tiptoed to the door, slowly opening it a tad, trying not to wake him up. With a small crack, she squeezed her way through, carefully closing it. An adventure exploring around the ship would keep her amused while he rested. Candles, and men surrounded the room she entered. Some were playing cards, some were singing songs, and only a few were sleeping on the floor. Whatever they were doing, they had a bottle of something in their hands, trying their best to stand still.

"It's the wench!" One hollered from the distance. "That Captain must have gotten lucky already!"

"Get us some more booze!" Another one ordered. "And make us some food!"

"You want to go home, don't you?" A voice behind her whispered; his breath tickled across her neck, causing her to jump forward, turning around. "Didn't mean to scare you. You're a pretty girl and I want to help you out, but don't tell the captain."

"Don't listen to him," a young boy interrupted, standing himself in between the mysterious man and Ichigo. "He does this to all the captain's mistresses: sweet talks them into having sex."

"Shut up!" The man growled, smacking the boy from the back of the head. "Get us some more booze, Tart!"

"No one on this ship is going to sleep with me!" She hissed, shoving her way back into the room. She didn't feel like stepping foot into the same room as that man, but standing around with intoxicated men wasn't exactly the safest place to be. Closing the door behind her, she leaned against the door, sliding down until she sat on the floor. She began to sob, placing her hands to her face. On board a pirate ship wasn't how her wedding day was supposed to turn out. She heard of pirates, but she didn't know what they were like. Now, she was traveling across the ocean into a place she had never been or heard. Stepping outside of Dieppe wasn't something she had done before. She hoped she could go home still a virgin, if that was possible, soon, away from these pirates. She crawled towards the other side, blowing out the candle, standing in front of the window. An orange spectrum filled the sky as she watched the sun rise; thinking what her family is doing now that she is gone.

She looked out of the window for nearly an hour, bored out of her mind. Turning around to the bed, Quiche was still passed out, sleeping on the bed. She walked towards the door, putting an ear to the door, hearing nothing. Slowly, opening the door a smidge, Ichigo peeked out. All of the men sprawled unto the floor, resting. She tiptoed her way in, taking in the room. A door halfway open, to the right, caught her attention, making her pace towards it. She entered a tiny room covered in bricks. A fireplace, a table, a tray were the only things in the room. Stepping towards the tray she saw various sacs, bowls and cans, making her presume this was the kitchen, which was perfect because she hadn't remembered the last time she had eaten. By the time she made something for herself she assumed someone would be demanding food, so she decided to make breakfast. Cooking was definitely not her specialty. Last time she made something she nearly burnt the house down, only to come with ash as her creation. When her mother died, Keiichiro became the cook in the family because he was the oldest sibling. She envied his talent; he got a chance to study in Paris, but a year was all her family could afford. When he was sixteen, her age, he started to work full-time in the bakery. She remembered when she and Lettuce attempting to bake bread, only to have it taste like raw salt. Eventually, Lettuce mastered the art of cooking, while Ichigo's cooking continued to taste something completely different. She was afraid what breakfast would turn out for the pirates. Maybe if it turned out horrible they would send her home. "Bingo," she thought to herself, "I will make the worse meal ever that way they have to send me back!"

She opened one of the bags, revealing a fine power, which she presumed was flour. Pouring a lot into a bowl, she added water, mixing the batter. She opened another sac, with a course power; sugar. "Sugar makes things taste good, so I better not add any of this if I want to go home," she thought. Another bag, another white powered substance, this time salt was her assumption. The whole sac went into the batter, causing her to chuckle, while she threw random caned fruit into the concoction. She lit a fire, placing the mixture into a pot.

"I see you're making breakfast." The boy from an hour ago spoke, in a tired tone. "I'll scrub the desks."

"You sound tired, why don't you sleep." Ichigo pointed out, turning around to face him. His face had been covered in dirt, while his eyes sagged, trying to stay open.

"I have to much work to do, I'm just thankful captain found another wench." He huffed, helping himself to some canned fruit.

"Another wench?" Ichigo asked, adding more wood to the fire. "What does he do: kidnaps a woman and when he gets bored with her he dumps her into the sea?"

"Pretty much, usually when she gets pregnant." He replied, making his way to the doorway. "But I think he may let you stay here until we make it to New France."

"New France?" She asked, baffled at the location. It was a place she had heard before, but only knew a vague description of the place. She hoped it was close by, because she didn't feel like being fish food.

"Captain raids a bunch of ships exporting animal skins, which cost livres." He explained, halfway inside the room. "If you're nice to him he will drop you off on land, proclaiming you are one of the filles du roi. It worked for one of his mistresses last year, even though the king hasn't sent filles for years."

"It's quite alright." She added, as tears ran down her face. Her wish to return to Dieppe was only a dream, which would never come true. If she could make him fall in love with her maybe, he could send her back, then again what did a man who was after one thing know about love?

Another hour had passed and her breakfast was complete. She took a bite; it tasted sweet, as the flavours merged together and surprisingly tasted like cake! She jumped for joy, excited that finally something she cooked turned out perfect. Her plan to make something disgusting failed, but her mother told her that the key to a man's heart was through his stomach. She cut off a square, placing it on a plate. Half running her way to his room, the crew began to awake. "Breakfast is in the kitchen." She announced, cheerfully, slamming the door to his bedroom behind her.

"Ow, did you have to close that door so loud?" Quiche grunted, placing a hand on his forehead.

"I made you breakfast, I hope you like it." She smiled, offering the cake to him, giggling. "It's cake!"

"Did you put something in dis?" He asked, puzzled at her smile. "Yous hate me."

"Your crew scares me, and if you die they would come after me." She responded, in a calmer tone, as she started to blush. "I don't hate you, besides that Tart kid, you're the only one else I trust on this ship."

"You met the crew?" He asked again, yanking the cake from her hand, cramming it into his mouth, talking with his mouth full, "This is delicious! Make me some more!"

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AN: I did update! I hope his accent doesn't bother people because it's kinda cute. It's a cross between a hillbilly accent and a European one. (The country won't be unvailed until much later) I don't know if they had canned fruit, sugar, or salt in 1698, but I tried to be accurate. Livre is an old French currency, and for the working class, it was a lot of money. Les filles du roi were women King Louis XIV sent to New France to colonize the area.


	3. Chapter 3

Her arms felt as if they were slowly being ripped off, as the muscles began to throb. In her mind, she wanted to give up, collapsing unto the floor and sleep, but only one square metre remained. She dipped the fifthly rag into the water one last time, dropping it unto the floor. Pushing the rag away from her using both of her hands, practically falling unto the floor, she began to scrub, and brushed the rag back towards her, cleaning the last area. She lifted herself up, sighing, carrying the bucket and rag towards the kitchen. She waddled each step, as the boat began to move, causing her to wobble her way, as if she had been the drinking. The boat jerked to the side, forcing her fail body to fall over. Instead of smacking the floor as she anticipated, a man caught unto her, as she fell into his arms. She pulled herself together, planting her feet unto the ground, steadying herself into a standing position. 

"You alright, kitten?" the man asked, placing a hand unto her waist, while the other rested on her neck. "The winds is no good, but I'll be back."

"Thanks, Quich-" she tried to say, but he planting his lips unto hers, interrupted her words. She dropped the bucket and rag, instantaneity, while the water formed a pool under her feet. He slowly broke off the kiss, and smiled, before rushing up the stairs. Her cheeks matched the colour of her hair, and placed her hands over her mouth. That was her first time she had been kissed. She was expecting it would be with Masaya, at a special moment, but not with a pirate while she finished scrubbing the deck, but the moment still felt special to her. Her plan might have worked, but she had been so busy that she hadn't seen him.

Taking in a deep breath, calming herself down, she picked up the bucket and rag, skipping her way to the kitchen, chucking the items inside. She didn't know how many days she had been here, but as soon as she tried to sleep, someone was commanding her to do something. Even though she was tired and occupied, she felt content that for days she didn't have to step foot into the captains room. Now that the captain and the crew were worried about the wind, she could sleep peacefully.

"Now is the perfect time to run." A voice spoke from behind, causing her to jump. "Everyone is busy, so if you leave no one would see you."

She twirled around; a tall man stood in front of her, with his pale eyes gleaming at her; the same as the man Tart warned her about. He was different from the rest of the crew. His skin wasn't pale, and he was slightly muscular compared to the rest who resembled sticks.

"It would take you a few hours to make it to the coast of France." The man explained, digging into his pocket, pulling out a circular object. "Do you want this? It'll show you the direction to go. Mind you if you make it on land, it will take you days to get to Dieppe."

"Thanks," she answered in a cheerful tone. Reaching for the object, but the man pulled it away from her with a smirk on his face, "You have to do me a favour first."

"Sure, I'll do anything to get back home." She cried, trying to grab the object from him.

"Anything?" He asked, seductively, as he dropped the compass into his pocket, freeing up his hands, and pointed a finger to his cheek. "I want a kiss right here."

"Fine," she sighed, leaning closer to him. Instead of landing unto his cheek, he darted his face, causing her to miss the cheek and unto his lips. Ichigo broke off the kiss, but he placed his hands unto her shoulders, he slammed her into the wall, forcing his lips on hers. She tried to push him off of her, but he didn't budge. The worse part was when he shoved his tongue into her throat, almost making her gag. She was starting to like Quiche's kiss a lot more than this one. Raising her hand to his face, she attempted to slap him, but his firm grip on her shoulders immobilized her. "The most fragile part of a man is the crotch," were words she remembered when Masaya taught her self-defense. This man may have control over he arms, but she could easily move her legs, and by raising her knee, quickly, he let out a cry of pain, collapsing unto the ground.

She sprinted up the steps, as fast as she could, huffing each breath she breathed. Her hair whisked, as the wind pounded in her face, ringing in her ears, while her cheeks felt as if they were frozen. At least the man was right; the entire crew was distracted obeying Quiche's orders. She paced herself towards one of the lifeboats, unable to move quickly due to ship shaking, and flopped into the boat, lying inside. Pausing for a moment, she heard the sea roar, striking unto the ship, while she rocked inside. She lifted herself up, crawling over towards the one of the pulleys, and pulled on the rope. It was heavier than she anticipated, but that didn't stop her. After one pull, her bicep felt a sharp pain, eating away inside of her, as she let out a squeal. She rubbed her arm for a moment, trying to ease the pain, which helped a tad, then pulled, using both hands.

"Where do you think yer goin'?" Quiche asked, gripping unto the pulley. Ichigo tried to pull down, but his strength kept her from moving. "Give up, you ain't goin' back to Dieppe. Do yous know where zat is?"

"No, but land isn't far." She replied, as she dropped her arms, while her eyes started to water. "I'll swim there if I have to. Please let me go! I love Masaya and I wanna be with him and only him!" She broke out in tears, clawing her hands on Quiche's, trying to rip them off of the rope, but failed. "What do you know about love? You don't realize how much absence makes the heart grow fonder. That's how I knew I loved him: when he left to join the musketeers!"

"You're mine, so you ain't going anywhere." He answered, grabbing unto her hands, trying to calm her down. "You're right, I don't know about love. My parents loved each other but that was the worsed mistake of their live. The reason why he cuddn't marry 'er was because he was already married to someone, something he don't tell er, and he loved his wife. He left her when she was with child. Her family abandoned her too."

"Sorry, that must have been hard on your mother." She said, with sympathy, relaxing her hands, giving up the idea of fighting back. "If you don't like the idea of your women being pregnant, then you're just like your father. I know it's none of my business, but would you want a child to not be raised the way you were?"

"Who told you zat?" He asked, aggressively, letting go of her hands. "I throw them into the sea because they sleep with other man."

"Sorry, I guess someone told me a lie." She apologized, and relieved at the same time. She knew there was something wrong with that boy being too sick to do anything, but well enough to scream at her, calling her an old hag and play cards with the others. "So, you aren't going to take me back? Please just tell me the direction."

"You will die in the sea, look at the wind." He informed her, reaching out his hand. "We have to go to New France right away. You come with me, or die in the sea?"

"Fine," she agreed, taking his hand. She lifted her foot off of the boat, but and caused the boat to swing behind her. Struggling to keep her balance with the wind, she slipped, falling down. The fall caused Quiche to lean over, but grabbed tightly unto her hand. The boat swung back, missing Quiche by a millimetre, blocking her if she tried to move up. She started to weep; she still wasn't sure if she could trust him. He could let go of her and deal with the ship, after all she was just another woman whom he didn't love, or couldn't love. She still couldn't get over the fact that his mother had to raise him by herself. If Masaya found out she was pregnant before the wedding, he might have left her, and her family would have disowned her. She was thankful that never happened to her, but if she did go home after being on a pirate ship, would they disown her, presuming the pirates have done something to her? Would they believe her if she said she was still a virgin? Would Masaya want her?

"Quiche, don't let go of me." She cried out, as her hand started to sip. She wanted to give up, and rest, but she didn't know if she had the strength to swim. "I'll be yours, but I don't know if I can hold on much longer."

The lifeboat was lowered, descending towards her, as he hollered, "Get in." Using his free hand, he tipped the boat to the side, preventing her from being crushed, while two crewmembers lowered the boat from both sides. Ichigo, leaned her body backwards, dropping herself into the boat. Quiche let go of the boat, but not her hand, as she felt it swing sideways towards the ship, as it was raised. "Maybe he isn't that bad after all," she thought to herself. Compared to the rest of the crew, he ironically seemed the trust worthiest, even if he makes perverted jokes around her; he still hadn't acted upon them unlike that one crewmember that pounced on her not to long ago. He squeezed firmly on her hand, dragging her out of the boat, then threw her into his arms. She relaxed her body; his arms were actually comfortable despite how skinny he was. Her eyes closed on their own, but didn't fight with them to keep them open.

"I'll take er to my room," Quiche told his workers, as she dozed off to sleep.

00000

She awoke, only to be in a room blanketed in darkness. A wall was pressing against her side, as she sat upright in front of something else. The floors were still wobbling, but one was able to walk. The storm answered her question why everything was on the ship was bolted to the floor. She felt fingers stroking through her hair, while an arm was wrapped around her waist, and her body against a man. Her eyes widened, as she jerked away, shuffling her body away from him.

"You wake up?" A man with a strange accent whispered, pulling her close to him, supporting her head unto his chest. "Go back to sleep, the storm is almost over."

"Shouldn't you be upstairs?" She asked, baffled at the fact that Quiche was fondling her while she rested when he was supposed to take care of the ship in this weather.

"I protect you, kitten." He replied. "This wind isn't bad; I've been through hurricanes. If I put you in the bed you will fly all over the room. I protect you from getting smashed into walls."

Her cheeks started to turn pink again. She remembered Masaya protecting her like an older brother when she was young. He acted like her bodyguard before he left for war. "Did get smashed into walls," she asked him, while placing a hand on his chest, beside her head.

"A few times, but I'm fine." He responded, raising himself and Ichigo, as a grunted in pain, then stood. "My back is a just a little sore."

She placed her other hand on his back, feeling a warm liquid seep out of his shirt, dripping unto her hands. "You're bleeding," she informed.

"A little blood not goin' kill me." He answered, as he slid his hand off of her waist, relocating it to her hand, giving it a gentle squeeze. "I'll show you to the bed where you can sleep."

"I'm not tired," She lied. "Where's a candle? I'm going to treat your wound. It's the least I could do for you."

"On the floor somewhere." He replied, letting go of her hand. "Do whatever you want."

She kneeled unto the ground, placing her hands unto the floor, swaying them around her. Moving around the room, she kept feeling her way around the room, eventually finding a cylinder with wax drooped to the side. "Found it," she called out; walking the opposite way, hoping it was the right location. A small flame of light illuminated her path, suspended in the air. She placed the candle under the flame, while Quiche lit it. The room was some what lit, but enough to see.

"Take your shirt off and lay on the bed." She commanded, pointing to the bed.

"You want to be the dominant one, eh?" He smiled, flirtatiously. "I like dominating women! Finally, we can have sex!"

"I don't mean that!" She squealed, as her face turned red. "Your shirt needs to be off if I'm going to treat you. Lay on your stomach on the bed, that way you don't irritate the wound."

"Yes, dear." He teased. Crossing his arms in front of him, and placing his hands at the bottom of his shirt, he pulled it over his head, offering it to her. She went to the armoire, still blushing, searching through the clothing. Now she had to wash his shirt, more work, but wasn't upset because he did hit the walls while protecting her. There were jackets, pants, but no shirts. She sighed; realizing that the only shirt left was the one she was wearing. She pulled out the dress she starting making out of fabric she found in the armoire. There weren't any sleeves, but it she didn't feel like wearing a jacket.

She came back inside the room, wearing her dress, holding the shirt she had worn in one hand, and a candle in another. The shirt nearly scolded her. She boiled water in the kitchen, placing it on the top of the pot to absorb the heat. Putting the candle unto the table, she unfolded the shirt, draping it on his back.

"Thanks, that feels nice." He commented, turning his head to the side, facing her.

"Why did you save me?" She asked, making sure his entire back was covered. "You're the captain, and you had other duties."

"You're my woman," He responded. "If you die I don't get action."

"Oh," she sighed. She knew that was all he cared about, but why did she get her hopes up for nothing? He's freakish pale, and skinny with green hair, which is not attractive at all, but the way he pronouced his "i"s like an "e" was cute. Having him love her is almost impossible, making her think, "Maybe I should give up on that idea. Maybe if I'm his favourite, no! I can't make myself do that!"

"You look sad." He pointed out, as he yanked her hand, pulling her into the bed. "Let me cheer you up."

"No, stop it!" She cried out, tugging her hand away, feeling him let go of her hand, as she rolled herself out of the bed.

"Sorry," he apologized, moving his head, facing the other direction. "G'night."

"Night." She said, dazed, as her eyes widened. He just let her get away. He let go when she said to stop. He respected her decision. Something wasn't right. He kidnapped her because he wanted sex, yet she has been on this ship for a few days still a virgin. He had a chance, many times, to pin her down and rape her, but he chose to obey her when she said no. He even apologized. Was sex the only thing he wanted from her?

She blinked, setting herself back into reality. Snatching the one of the pillows from the bed, she blew out the candle, and slept on the floor.

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AN: Thanks for the reviews! Please comment on what needs improvement, or what you like about the story.


	4. Chapter 4

"Rise and shine, it's the morning!" Ichigo sang, throwing the drapes off to the sides of the window. The blinding sunlight shined into Quiche's eyes, causing him to squint them, raising a hand in front of him. Ichigo walked towards the side of the bed, placing a bowl on the night table while he rolled to the other side tossing the fur blanket over his head. Grabbing the blanket, she swung her arm, pulling the blanket away from him, telling him, "It's almost noon so it's about time you got up. I made you some soup." 

"I don't want any." He groaned, speaking as if his voice had been strained.

"Are you feeling well?" She asked, placing a hand on his forehead. It felt rather warm, as sweat was forming near his hair. "You have a fever."

"You're cold, so if yous lay on me with no clothes ma fever will lower." He said, seductively in a groan. Ichigo's face went red in both embarrassment and anger, as she placed her arms in front of her chest, crossing them. He may be sick, but well enough to make perverted jokes.

"No," she hissed, in a monotone as if she were commanding a dog. "I'll put a cloth on your forehead."

"That no fun, kitten!" He complained, rolling unto his back. "I like how you play hard to get but you ain't resistin' forever. Soon you will cave."

"Why don't you force me if you want it that badly." She asked, as she sighed. "After all, you did kidnap me because you wanted a concubine."

"That no fun either." He explained, turning his head towards her, winking at her. "It better when she enjoys it that way she calls my name." He smiled, as Ichigo's face turned red again. "Yer thinkin' of zat Masaya guy. Forget him, you're mine!"

"I'm not yours!" She yelled, marching out of the room, slamming the door behind her in an instant. Dashing up the stairs, she ran unconsciously, rushing towards one of the lifeboats. She kneeled down on the side of the boat, huffing while tears ran down her face, whispering, "Masaya, where are you?" It had been three weeks since she had been on this ship and each day she missed Masaya more. She missed his smile the most, but how he was so kind and gentle, unlike most of the crew. The only man who even showed that he cared for her was the man who kidnapped her, and now he has a fever. "A fever," she thought to herself.

"If he dies then the crew would go after me!" She spoke out loud, as the tears stopped dripping down her face and her sorrow was replaced by determination.

"You're more beautiful when you cry, hot stuff." A raspy voice commented in a flirtatious tone.

Ichigo turned around, crossing her eyebrows in anger, screaming, "Like I'd fuck you!"

"Sweet, a feisty one! The captain is a lucky one but I'm not gonna let em have all the fun." The man answered, with a smirk on his face, holding a dagger. He was a different man, one she hadn't seen before, but she wasn't going to let this guy push her around.

He went for her wrist but she quickly darted it away, moving to the side. Swinging his dagger at her he aimed at her stomach, but she placed her arm in front blocking it. The blade stung, but she felt no pain for the pit of her stomach was filled with adrenaline. She grabbed the blade, feeling it pierce through her fingers. Tightening her grip on it she pulled the dagger towards her using all of her strength. He let go with his face filled with rage as he began to growl. He jumped onto her, causing her to fall backwards into the boat. Digging his nails into her wrist he tried to hold her in place, but she kicked his stomach, pushing him unto his back. She pounced on him, slashing the dagger gently against the side of his stomach, enough to cause him to scream in pain. He dragged himself out of the boat, sprinting unto the other direction. Taking a deep breath, she calmed down, dropping the dagger. The pain in her arm and hand started to throb as blood dripped down.

"You sure are violent." A familiar voice added. "Didn't your mother tell you not to play with knives?"

She looked up in the direction of the voice as the rage inside of her began to increase again. His blue eyes were different this time, not full of lust like the last time she had seen him. Turning her body away she growled and shuffled towards the pulley, yelling, "Go away!"

"You're hurt let me help you." He said, in a calm tone, but the words "help you" didn't seem comforting.

"I don't need your help because I know that you want my body in return." She hissed, putting her hands unto the rope. Pulling unto the rope she used most of her strength, but it barely moved. Her arms felt tight as the pain swelled on the right and bloody side. Tears ran down her face as she cried, "I have to save the captain, he has a fever." She heard a squeak as the other side behind her was descending. Turning around she saw the man pulling the other rope, aiding her.

"You love the captain, don't you?" He asked, halting his pulling, and swung his legs around to face her. "He must be good if you're trying your best to keep him alive."

"I don't love him, I just trust him the most." She replied, hostilely while her cheeks turned pink. "I don't know if he is good because we've never 'done it.' Didn't I tell you to go away?"

He pulled out a handkerchief from his pocket, offering it to her, saying, "Here take this, you're bleeding."

"I'm fine, mister!" She grumbled, snatching the handkerchief with her left hand. Instead of using it on her wound she held unto it, placing her arms to her side. "I'm using this for Quiche since I don't have a cloth for him."

"I have a name you know." He added, crawling beside her, pulling the rope closest to her. "It's Pie." He spoke, continuing to pull. "Wait, don't call me that. Since it's been three weeks and you haven't satisfied him, I presume he is going to dump you into sea, so might as well tell you my real name. It's Ryo. I tell the captain's concubine one of the crew man's name, that way when she cheats on him she will tell him it was with another man and not me."

"Dump me into the sea?" She questioned in a confusing tone, yet fearfully. "What do you mean by that?"

"Well, if the woman doesn't satisfy him he dumps her into the sea." He explained, moving towards the other side, lowering the boat. "This should be low enough for you to reach."

She shuffled her body towards the edge, moving her arm out of the boat, brushing the cloth into the water using the side that wasn't bleeding. It felt cold, causing her to startle and dart the handkerchief out of the water. As soon as she sat into her seat Ryo pulled on the rope the other way, elevating the boat.

_Well, if the woman doesn't satisfy him he dumps her into the sea _

_I throw them into the sea because they sleep with other man_

"The water is freezing cold and it's noon." She thought to herself as she starred at the cloth which shook in her trembling hand.

"Aren't you getting out?" Ryo asked, waving his hand in front of her face. Ichigo blinked, looking up. They were up and leveled with the deck, something she hadn't noticed. "Quiche," she whispered, causing her to race out of the boat, spiriting into the room.

"I have no choice if I want to live." She told herself, making her way to the door. Turning the knob she slowly opened the door, as blood dripped unto the floor. He was sitting up eating the soup she made for him. Closing the door behind her she paced herself to the bed. As soon as he saw her arm he pushed the soup aside with a concerned look on his face, demanding, "What happened?"

"I'm such a klutz I cut myself cooking." She giggled, walking towards the side of the bed. "Here is a cloth for your forehead," she offered, holding it on his forehead. Telling the truth would defiantly be suicide. Even though she prevented the crewmember from doing anything she knew she would be to blame for inciting him.

"Here, have this." He suggested, pulling his shirt towards his shoulders. Ichigo let go of the cloth for a second, allowing him to take his shirt off. Ripping the shirt in half he wrapped on half around her arm and the other around her palm.

"Thanks," she smiled, as he placed a hand above hers. "Why didn't you wait until the soup cooled down?"

"I'm awake and hungry." He replied, giving her hand a squeeze. "Besides, I like yer cookin'."

"Are you feeling better?" She asked, in a cheerful tone. "I'll stay with you all day if I have to in order to make sure you're feeling well."

"You better not," He informed, letting go of her hand. "I don't want you to get sick."

"You have a fever and you could die!" She added, moving the cloth towards his chest. "If you're dying than I am too."

"I'm not gonna die." He answered, rolling his eyes. "I don't want _you_ to get sick and die on me."

"Really," she blurted out, while her cheeks started to turn pink, dropping the cloth. He nodded in response as she began to smile.

_Well, if the woman doesn't satisfy him he dumps her into the sea_

"I guess now is the time." She thought to herself, untying the apron she wore around her waist.

"Quiche, remember you said that you wanted me to lower your fever by laying near you?" She stuttered, biting her lip. "Well… uh… I guess I'll do that since it would make you happy."

"I was joking, but if you insist." He smiled, placing his hands around her waist. Ichigo struggled taking the apron off as a tear started to fall from her eye. "Why am I crying," her mind told her as her hands began to shake.

"I CAN'T DO IT!" She cried out, stepping from him, while turning away from him. "Dump me into the sea, I just can't do it."

"Do what?" He questioned, in a confusing tone. "A beautiful woman isn't supposed to be in tears."

"I can't… satisfy you." She wept, wiping the tears with the side of her hand. "I'm useless to you, so dump me now!"

"I'm not going to throw you into the sea if it's going to make you cry!" He shouted, reaching for her hand, grabbing unto it. "Stop crying!"

Ichigo obeyed, halting her tears as she turned around with her eyes puffy and her cheeks red. Maybe he didn't rape his women because he can't stand a woman's tears, but why is she even on his ship? Maybe he wanted someone to cook for him and sex was a bonus.

"I have a bargain." He informed, patting a space beside him, motioning for her to sit. "You don't cry and I won't touch you but I can still kiss you. Agreed?"

She sat on the space, while he put an arm around her shoulder, holding her against his warm body. Looking up at him she gave a smile, saying, "Agreed."

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AN: Back then, a woman was to be blamed if she was raped. Thanks for reading everyone, and thanks for the reviews. Please give some suggestions/comments, particularly in writing style, because they will help make future chapters. I like reading reviews because feedback, positive and negative, helps me deside how many chapters I should do.


	5. Chapter 5

Ichigo pulled the pan out of the fireplace using her apron and dropped it on the table quickly as the heat gnawed at her. She did the same with the other pan, but let out a squeal as the heat began to throb over her fingertips. Grabbing a burlap sac, she placed two of the best looking croissants into the bag. By best looking, the two that weren't burnt; each piece was almost a black colour while some looked one fragile morceau of ash. She picked the bell with her other hand and paced towards the doorframe. The entire floor under the deck was surprisingly empty. Normally, the night crew would be sleeping at a time like this but everyone had been upstairs for hours. Taking one step off to the side she took a deep breath screaming, "Supper," while waving the bell. A herd of what sounded like hundreds of elephants swarmed into the kitchen. Within, a few seconds the pack raced back upstairs unto the desk leaving not even a crumb on the pan. The pirates didn't care about how the food tasted as long as it was edible. Burnt croissants in the shape of squiggles instead of crescents were food from Versailles compared to the leak soup she made a few weeks ago. After two months on this ship she was getting accustomed to the flavourless food she produced. 

The burns on her fingertips caused her to drop the bell, scorching her skin. She slowly walked towards the metal stairs that reminded her of stairs from a cellar door. The entire crew was on the desk, to no surprise, hovering around the lifeboats. Almost half of the crew was squished into three rowboats, while the other half was attending the sails. The wind blew cold air, causing her to shiver as she reached the deck.

"Why are they all in boats?" She thought to herself, walking towards the boat Quiche was on. Her eyes lit up as she ran towards him thinking, "We must be on land!"

"Sorry kitten, but you have to stay." Quiche informed, as his boat was being lowered.

Ichigo jumped into the boat, landing on someone, and pushed her way through, yelling, "There is no way I am staying on this ship with half of the crew."

"There is a ship nearby zat we attack and it iz too dangerous for you to come." He pointed out, motioning the crew to stop lowering to boat.

"But I don't trust being alone with the crew!" She hissed. "Bring me to the land with you!"

"Land?" He asked, baffled by the question. "Land is very far away. Three months till shore. We are just raid a passenger ship. Sometimes, passenger ships carry castor d'hiver pelts and other stuff."

"Whatever, I'm not leaving this boat!" She growled, glaring at him with her brown eyes. "I'm staying with you if you like it or not!"

"Fine," he bargined, cupping his hands around his mouth shouting, "Everyone off this boat! There are two other ones!"

The men groaned as they slothfully jumped into the sea, swimming unto the two other crowded boats. Quiche grabbed one pulley, tugging on it until one side of the rowboat landed on top of the water, and then repeated the same action with the other side.

"Why did you get rid of the crew?" She asked as they sat facing each other.

"For our romantic date." He winked, placing his hands unto the ores, pushing them away.

"I never knew raiding a ship was considered romantic, yet alone a date." She smirked, holding unto the sac and her burned fingers. "I do have food here."

"Feed me," he commanded, opening his mouth open.

"I'm not going to feed you." She said, as her face started to blush a light rose colour. "You're almost nine-teen so you can feed yourself!"

"But that no fun!" He complained with a smile, as he let go of the ores, placing his hands on hers. "What is zee matter?"

"I just burnt my fingertips, that's all." She explained.

He picked her hand up and submerged it into the water. The water was freezing, as if her hand was in an ice bucket, and began to shake. Yanking it out of the water she held it with her other hand, warming it up.

"That was mean," she cried as he placed his hand on hers. "Why are you attached to my hand?"

"Sorry, but you said you burn yourself." He apologized, letting go of her hand, and continuing to row. "I like holding your hand. I'm starving, where is the food?"

"Here," She replied, opening the sac and pulling out a misshaped croissant. Quiche, as stubborn as he was, opened his mouth with a smile, expected her to feed him. Giving a sigh, she broke off a piece and placed it into his mouth. Within a minute the croissant was gone, so she pulled out the other one.

"Now, I feed you." He smiled, letting go of the ores. "See, it's a romantic date."

Ichigo's face began to redden even more, but obeyed and opened her mouth, slightly. He broke off a small piece and feed her until the food was all gone. Despite the horrible appearance, the bread actually didn't taste nearly as bad as she thought it would taste. She let out a smile as he began to row again. Opening her mouth to speak, no words came out. Silence broke out as the two didn't even stare at each other for fifteen minutes. "Why am I nervous," she thought to herself as butterflies appeared in her stomach.

"You know," Quiche broke the silence, stuttering, "This ship is going to France. Uh…."

"France, really?" She said, out of happiness. "You better keep an eye out for me because I might escape unto that ship."

"You dun't belong with me." He explained, reaching into his pocket and pulled out three golden coins. "This should get you home."

Ichigo accepted the coins, gazing at the shape of them. They were much different than what she had seen before. Her eyes lit open in shock, "Three livres! I can't take this much."

"It pocket change to me." He answered, solemnly, pushing the ores.

She thanked him, placing the coins in a small pocket inside of her apron. The pit of her stomach, as well as her chest, began to feel heavy. Going back home was what she wanted most in this world, but why was she giving second thoughts? It was almost a dream how Quiche let her go home with three livres, which is way more than a trip from one end of France to the other.

Screams where heard in the background. The other boats must have made it to the ship by now, terrorizing the place as they did back in Dieppe. Quiche was stroking slowly, as if he was stalling for time, which she didn't mind. The slower he rowed, the more time she got to be with him. "Am I in love with him?" she asked herself. "He's a hideous pirate who is possessive. These can't be feelings of love."

Eventually, they reached the ship. It only had one deck as was about two thirds of the size as Quiche's. The rest of the crew was on the ship gathering chests, necklaces, anything they got their hands on. The guards on the ship killed some of the crew, while the others fled unto the rowboats, paddling away.

"I guess this is goodbye." Quiche spoke, with a droopy face as if he was about to cry.

"Farwell," Ichigo waved, swinging her arms around him in a hug. "Thank you for everything. I will never forget you."

He wrapped his arms around her, pulling her closer in a squeeze. A minute of embracing each other passed, as Ichigo said, "You can get off of me now," but he didn't let go. "I have to go now, Quiche. I'm going to miss you." She comforted, trying to break away, but he held her in place.

"Quiche?" She called out, but he planted his lips on hers, giving her a kiss goodbye. He broke off the kiss within a second, shoving her into the ship. Falling backwards unto her back and landing on the deck, she quickly lifted her self-up. Her eyes flooded in tears as they dripped down her face like a waterfall. Going home was supposed to be a time to celebration. She didn't have to worry about making food, scrubbing the deck and being harassed.

"Why am I crying?" She asked herself out loud. "He just wanted sex and food, like a barbarian."

She leaned over towards the side of the ship, watching Quiche row back into the sunset. He was stroking much faster than before, as if he was escaping something. Turning around swiftly, her view was at the ship, and not at him. "I belong in Dieppe, and not on a pirate ship," her thoughts told her, "I'll return home forgetting about these two months. Quiche does not exist because he didn't kidnap me. I don't know him!" She sobbed even more, as the tears blurred her vision. She glanced backwards, but darted forward; he was nowhere to be seen. Looking back again, she screamed at the top of her lungs, "QUICHE!"

She dove into the frigged water and began to swim in the direction he rowed. The freezing waters caused her to squeal, but she continued to swim calling his name every ten seconds. Her blood felt like it was freezing in her veins, but that didn't stop her. "Quiche," she cried out softly one last time in a raspy voice. Her throat felt so sore from yelling that she couldn't even speak. Her body felt like iron out of the coldness and from swimming for so long, which eventually got to her, causing her to faint.

00000

Her eyes opened, slothfully, as she felt someone roll her over to her side. She began to cough up water, spilling unto a wooden area. Even with her eyes open, see couldn't see a thing. "Am I dead?" she thought to herself. Her body began to shake, as her bones felt so cold. The floor where she had lain was swinging, which didn't go well with her stomach.

"Are you alright?" A voice called out, as she felt hands push her hair away from her face. "I told yous not to swim!"

"Quiche!" Ichigo answered, rolling around, embracing the figure beside her. A couple of tears ran down her face out of both joy and sorrow as she began to whimper.

"Why do you cry?" He questioned out of frustration. "You sad when yer on the ship and all you say is, 'Masaya' and, 'I wanna go home,' I bring you home and you cry? You promised no tears and I'm so confused. Yer transparent and I could read you like a book, but I don't understand. What do you want?!"

She let go of him for a second, starring into his eyes. Leaning forward she pressed her lips on his, then quickly leaned back with her hands over her month and her face as red as her hair. He grabbed her wrists with one on each hand and moved her hands from her face, then gave her a kiss. She kissed him back and began to moan. His kisses felt as if she were on cloud nine. Did she think of him only as a guilty pleasure? He moved his hands unto her waist, pulling her closer to him. His body was wet but warm and comfortable. After a few minutes he broke off the kiss saying, "We need to go back. You're freezing."

"Thanks," she spoke, quietly, for her throat was still sore.

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"Get 'er some coffee!" Quiche commanded, shouting at his crew while stepping out of the boat, holding Ichigo in his arms. He marched down the stairs and into the bedroom, plopping her unto the bed. He lit the candle on the table beside the bed then rushed to the armoire pulling out one of the fur coats and some trousers, throwing it towards her. Grabbing out some more clothing, he held a jacket and some half-pants that reached the knees, all in green. There wasn't a shade in his wardrobe that wasn't a neutral colour. He turned around, taking off his shirt. A ring hung in a chain which was around his neck, draping unto his back, something she hadn't noticed.

"Have you no shame?" She pointed out as he placed his hands on top of his trousers.

"No," he replied in a teasing manner.

Ichigo closed her eyes, as she felt her way towards the fur coat, covering her face with it, asking a few moments later, "Are you decent?"

"Why don't you see for yourself?" He added, but Ichigo didn't move the coat. "I need to see the treasure we found. You sleep and call me if you cold."

"I guess you are used to cold water." She assumed.

"I grow up in the mountains." He answered, as she heard steps shuffling towards the doorway.

"Then how did you become a pirate?" She asked, baffled by his statement, moving the coat away from her face.

"I move to Nice after my mother die ten years ago." He responded, holding unto the doorknob.

"I'm sorry, if it makes you feel any better my mother died twelve years ago." She said, sympathetically. "She was in giving birth but the baby didn't come out."

"That's horrible." He added, opening the door then exiting the room. "I go now, sleep well."

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AN: Sorry I took so long but I'm writing three other stories. The next chapter will countiue from this one, so I hope you like it. Thanks for the reviews and reading this story. Feel free to add more comments.


	6. Chapter 6

Ichgio was fast asleep. The fur coat he had given her the previous night provided warmth, even though she rested under a fur blanket. It was a little creepy seeing dead animal fur as their décor, but now that two months have past she has gotten used to it. The bed was made of straw, which on a normal bed would be itchy and hard as a rock, but the fur on top of it (under the blanket) was extremely comfortable. After she rested, she started to feel warm, but the first hour (even after drinking a warm cup of coffee) her body felt liked an ice cube. 

"'ey there booda-ful!" A voice hollered, waking her up.

She lifted her eyes, rolling over unto her back towards the centre of the bed. It was dark, but a candle towards the door resting on his hands lit some parts of the room. He wobbled his way over towards the bed, which surprized her because it looked like he was about to fall over, and dumped himself beside her on the bed.

"I got yous a purdy dress." He announced as the smell of alcohol breathed unto her face. The hand that didn't hold unto the candle swung over, dropping a poofy material beside her. She yawned for a second as she sat herself up, and took the dress. After nodding a thank you, she raised the upper part up, examining it; a card fell from the inside. The dress had a corset and was elaborately decorated in various materials. The sleeves were very loose, with a large trim at the elbows in lace. She smiled at the baroque attire and folded it beside her, on the opposite side from Quiche, and picked up the card.

"Vat does it say cuz I dunt no how to read?" Quiche asked, placing the candle down on the night table, lying backwards. If it weren't for the blanket on top of her, his head would rest on her lap.

She wanted to shuffle towards the other side, but she didn't mind his head on her lap. Her face was pink when she read the card: "À: Princesse Mint, De: Le Duc de Nantes." She then paused as her eyes widened, exclaiming, "A dress for Princess Mint from the Duke of Nantes?! I can't take this; this isn't mine."

"It iz now." He explained with a giggle. "I a pirate who take zees things. Plus, you booda-ful and the dress belongs to you. I wuv you!"

"I guess you're right. Thank you, it's so pretty!"

She chose to stay on this pirate ship and stealing dresses from the princess was the norm. This made her wonder what other stuff they stole. For one thing, she could tell it was alcohol from the way Quiche was walking.

"Alcohol!" The thought raced inside her head. "He's lying down on his back!"

She rolled him over unto his side and placed a hand under his head. Lifting him up, she put two pillows, one on top of the other, on her lap, elevating him.

"Stay like this, otherwise you will choke on your own vomit." She suggested, placing a hand on his head. His face was frozen, almost as cold as when she changed into the fur coat. Instead of warming up after swimming, he went to see what treasure he had captured. She moved his head off of her lap and swung her legs towards the side of the bed, commanding: "I'm going to get you some hot water. Stay here and don't you dare roll over unto your back!"

Moments later she left the kitchen with a cup of hot water. She would give him coffee, but water was the best drink to give a person when they had been consuming alcohol. Coming towards the knob, she crossed her eyebrows in confusing. One hand held a candle, while the other one held the water. She would place the cup down, but a gentle breeze started to blow when she was in the kitchen; it rocked the ship as if it were a cradle.

"Need any help?" A familiar voice called out.

Ichigo darted around, practically dropping both the candle and the cup out of shock. Her heart jerked as she saw his face.

"I'll be fine, go away, Ryo."

"The captain sure treats you like a dog and makes you do all of his work." Ryo teased as he too a step closer to her. "I have to admit, he is lucky to have a whore who has sexy legs."

Ichigo immediately stomped on his foot, pushing all of her weight down, until she heard an "ow" come out of him. Her coat only reached her knees, and buttoned at the sides, revealing more skin than she normally would show. She cast a glare showing her frustration at him, hissing, "I'm not his whore, and I do favours for him because I want to, not because he ordered me too." She placed the candle in his hand, then gave him a hard slap across the cheek before she turned the knob with her free hand. Within a millisecond when she entered the room, and then locked the door behind her.

"I was just joking." Ryo's voice slipped through the door, causing her eyes to roll.

After her incident with Ryo she didn't mind that the room was pitch black. The candles were kept in the drawer in the night table so there wasn't a need to panic.

"Quiche," she called out, but there was silence. "He probably passed out from drinking." She thought to herself. At least he was the same way she left him: sleeping in the middle of the bed on his side with two pillows under his head.

"Yaw?"

"Oh, I got you some hot water; you were really cold and drunk." She pointed out, making her way over towards the bed, feeling her way around. Her night vision slowly kicked in, making it a little easier to see, but she still needed to feel her way around. She felt his legs drooping off towards the side of the bed; the night table wasn't that far. Another mild roll shifted the boat, when she tried to place the cup on the table. She missed; the cup dropped and splattered on her knee. "Owch," she hissed as heat scorned her.

"You okay?" He asked, as she could feel a cold hand that reminded her of death squeeze hers. "I make you bedder."

"Yes, I spilt the water I got you on my knee." She sighed, bending down, feeling her way, and then retrieved the cup. It was a good thing she waited until the water cooled before otherwise she might have had a blister on her knees for days.

"I'll get you some more water then." She informed, but he pulled her unto the bed. Her cheeks went as red as her hair as she could feel an arm reach over across from her unto her waist. "Or, I can stay here." She stuttered then paused for a moment saying, "If we are going to sleep, do you mind if we slept vertically? Like how one is supposed to sleep?"

"Oh, right." He laughed. "This is side of bed. No wonder why my legs don't fit."

At least when he was intoxicated around her he was just stupid. She had seen him in fights when he was drunk, mostly over a crewmember commenting about her, but he never even hurt her by accident. He wouldn't even dare do anything like that. There was a sense of safety when she was near him because she knew he would always protect her. After all, if he can defeat Masaya in a sword fight so easily he could defeat anyone.

"Masaya," she thought to herself. It had been two months since she had last seen him, but each day his name faded more than the previous. Would she forget him? Has she given up on him? Was he still alive even thought he was in the military?

Lifting herself up, she opened the blanket to the bed, put her body inside, and placed the cup in the drawer of the night table. Quiche slothfully followed with the two pillows he had with him. She crawled towards the very right of the bed, trying to make sure there was space between them, which he respected and went towards the very left side. That or he was too intoxicated to even notice her.

"Are you cold?" She asked, quietly in a nervous tone. They slept in the same room before, but definitely not in the same bed. The only time she did share a bed with someone was with Lettuce and Pudding when she was younger, but not with a man.

"I'm fine!" He growled in a drunken manner, which caused Ichigo to giggle.

"You better be on your side with two pillow."

"Yes, mother." He teased, as she could hear him roll over to his side. "You don't wanna pillow?"

"I don't need one." She lied, as she changed her tone into a friendly manner: "And I'm not your mother."

"You look like her only wit red hairs and you fatter." He explained with a chuckle.

"Hey," She pounded. "I'm not fat!"

"I mean you healthy!" He tried to redeem himself. "She don't eat much. You so bood-ful I wuv you."

"Oh, that's really sad." She comforted. His mother was the one who raised him because he had been a bastard child, which could explain why she hadn't eaten. He too was rather thin and scraggly looking. Looks can be deceiving because he could win a fight with the largest man in the world. Maybe it was because he had to fend for himself for ten years making him became an excellent fighter.

"Vhen we have food, she gave me it."

"Did she die from malnutrition?" She blurted out, then covered her mouth in shame. "Sorry, I guess I shouldn't have said that."

"She die when I was eight, and no it is a long story." He spoke, then paused for a moment. "I don't tell no one dis, but I tell you. We lived in small room, but we had to live in streets. We hadn't eat for weeks so she tell me she love me den told me to drink something. I don't drink it because she didn't want me even if she begged me her tears said something else. After I pretend to drink, she drank the same liquid then died."

"Suicide," Ichigo spoke, solemnly as tears started to form. "That's so sad, why would she want to kill you then herself?"

"She want me to die from poison then to die from no food." He explained. "Would you rather die from poison or from no food?"

"Poison," she replied, rolling over to face him. She couldn't believe that his own mother would do something like this, but what would she do if she had a son who hadn't eaten for weeks? Comprehending something like that was hard. His mother knew she couldn't provide for him, so instead of withering away in pain from a lack of food, she found some poison and gave it to both her son and herself.

"But, couldn't she find food anywhere?"

"She was a hooker with son who never married. No one wanted to help her. She had no money and no one felt bad for her."

"Hooker," Ichigo stated in shock. "Was it because the man she loved wouldn't marry her and she needed to take care of you?"

"Correct," Quiche responded with a smile. The alcohol seemed to be slowly wearing off, but when he entered the room he was pretty intoxicated.

"Your mother may have been a prostitute and tried to kill you, but I understand that she did it out of love for you." She concluded. Becoming a prostitute wasn't something a woman wanted to do, but if she were in his mother's shoes she would have done the same.

The shapes around her started to become more visible. His face was a metre across from hers, starring right into his eyes. "He must have night vision like a bat," she thought to herself. Even thought he was under the warm blanket, she could see him shiver. His teeth were chattering, but she couldn't hear them. Her body wasn't nearly as cold as it was hours ago, so she looked into his eyes, offering, "Since I have a dress here would you like this coat."

"I'm fine." He lied, pulling the blanket up towards his ear. "You need it."

"I'm warm and the dress is very poofy," She announced as she rolled towards the other side, and planted her feet unto the floor. Picking up the dress, she gave him a glare, commanding, "turn around," as she placed her hands on the top button. He rolled his eyes, moving himself away from her, while she turned around to change into the dress he gave her. Because it was a size smaller, it was little snug. The dress also required another person to tie it together, but she was just going to sleep in it. After throwing the coat at him, which he grabbed immediately and put on, she crawled in the bed and faced him.

"Thanks, I'm warm."

"You're welcome," She nodded, digging her way through the millions of layers to her skirt to place a hand on her scorned knee. It still throbbed, even when he told her about his mother, but there wasn't anything cold in this room she could put on. Or was there?

"What's wrong?" He asked, as he turned around to face her, and placed his freezing hand on her cheek. She jumped from the coldness of his touch, but quickly yanked his wrist, moving it towards her knee. "Forward are we?" He asked, seductively, as he crept closer to her. Raising her hand, she gave him a slap across the cheek, then moved back a couple of centimetres towards the edge of the bed.

"I only did it because you're cold and my knee hurts."

"Sure," he joked with a smile. "Maybe you warm me up?"

"That's it," she growled, getting out of the bed. "I'm sleeping on the floor."

"Sorry," he apologized, rolling over towards the very left side of the bed.

"I lied," She huffed, yanking the blanket, and dumping herself inside the bed. "I'm still cold. You stay on your side and I'll stay on mine. Don't you dare cross over towards my side!"

She awoke, lifting her eyes open. The room was brightened from the sun, which told her it was morning time. She yawned, than stretched them her arms. Facing the right side, just like she was when she fell asleep, she gave a smile. _Looks like that pervert kept his promise. _Trying to raise her body up, something latched around her waist, preventing her from getting up. She looked down; arms were wrapped around her. Veins popped in her forehead as she pried his arms off of her. _Stupid pervert! Spooning with me without my permission. _

"Morning, kitten." He spoke, as his lips met her cheek. The tingling sensation lingered a little longer, but this was no time to appreciate a kiss, no matter now nice it felt.

"I told you to stay on your side!"

"I did." He answered in a cheerful tone. "You were the one who broke the rule."

He was right. Even thought she was facing the right, she was on the left side of the bed; there was a huge gap. Her eyebrows started to twitch as her face went beat red in both embarrassment and anger. Lifting the blanket away from her, she shuffled out of the bed, stomping out of the room.

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AN: Sorry this update took longer than the previous ones. I hope you like this chapter. There is some fluff in it, but important to the story line. I don't think there was a Duke of Nantes, but oh well.I was going to have Lettuce's husband be Ryo, hense the cafe her husband owned, (Chapter 1) but I figured he would be better suited as one of the crewmembers. Maybe he's a Ryo clone that way Lettuce can have him. Pretty much, women were concidered second class citizens, well not even citizens in the late 1600s. Now, it's common for an unwed woman to have a child and have society treat her fairly, but back then it was completely the opposite. Thanks for all of the reviews! Thanks for reading this story and feel free to give comments. I would like to read some more improvements and more comments that way I know how well this story is. Also, reviews make me happy:) Thanks for reviewing people!


	7. Chapter 7

The steam from the roast emitted from the oven as the smell of rustic herbs whiffed into Ichigo's nose. She put her oven mitts and dove in to reach the dish; the juices gave mini hissing noises. Placing the dish on the table, she carefully let her nose take in the meal. Meanwhile, Tart was sharpening his knife as he bounced around, humming a merry tune.

Even though, it has been almost a month since they captured supplies from the passenger ship, the crew had meat to last them. Someone, somehow, was able to collect some large birds who screeched at the top of their lungs while dangling flabby wattles from their beaks during the excursion. Quiche told her these birds were called turkeys and there were different animals in the new world. She could tell judging by his room. This allowed them to eat meat practically everyday since that trip. Although, they did not get sick of eating the fatty taste. All the other "borrowed" things on the ship were exquisite.

"I can't believe those ugly birds could be so yummy!" Tart spoke, cheerfully. "It must have been some rich ship.. nobility or from the king!"

"What other ships do they steal from?" Ichigo asked, while she yanked the knife from Tart's hands.

His face pouted as his arms crossed against his chest. He was silent for a moment out of protest. Ichigo was too busy carefully lifting the cover to the roast. The steam jumped out causing swirls in the air.

"Usually from trading companies." Tart responded. "But now a days we haven't got anything. Not with all those English soldiers."

"English soldier?" Ichigo thought out loud, while staring into space. "Like a musketeer?"

"I guess you could say that." Tart answered, as his face took in the roast. "But they have been sneaking on us lately since they have two colonies one north one south of Nouvelle France."

It has been awhile since Ichigo has thought of Masaya as she became accustomed to the pirate's lifestyle. She thought of the crew as a new family. Tart reminded her a little of her sister Pudding only in docile in comparison. She felt like the crew's mother since they were always getting into trouble and needed to be fed. Also, their cleaning habits were outrageous; she was surprised rats were not on board. Probably could not stoop to as low as their standards. She could not place Quiche in her family circle; maybe nagging wife? The thought of her being his wife caused her to giggle.

"Are you okay?"

"Oh," she blurted out. Tart was staring at her with his eyes narrowed as if he were examining her. "I just though it would have been funny if we forgot to kill this bird before we cooked it." She lied, but clamped her mouth shut after that remark. Not to her surprise, Tart laughed.

"Supper's ready?" a low voice spoke. The breath slithered across the back of her neck, which caused her to firmly grip the knife. She jolted around holding the blade in front of her, glaring at him.

"You have to wait your turn!" Tart barked.

Ryo shifted his ice eyes towards the little brat. A smirk came to his face.

"Who was the one slaughtering those birds for you because they are too dangerous?" He asked, schemingly. "You should be thankful. Piss me off again and I'll be the one cooking you for tomorrow's dinner."

Ichigo's mouth was about to speak when unfortunately, Quiche jumped into the kitchen with a dopey smile on his face.

"Who's cookin' who?" Quiche questioned, oblivious to the tension. "Mmm, something smells goood!"

She darted her body to face the roast and slammed the blade into the bird, hacking it. Her hands almost became red as the circulation was hindered from the firm grip.

"Someone's inna bad mood."

She hurled the knife into the top part of the meat, planting it in towards the bone.

"Of course I am." Ichigo grunted, as she threw her finger to point towards Ryo. "I've had enough of this man."

Quiche took a step back as his eyebrows were cross; he scratched his head. Pausing for a moment before he spoke, he glanced at Ryo who's eyes looked icier as they scowled at Ichigo.

"Well, he is the first mate." Quiche pointed out.

This caused Ichigo's jaw to drop and stare at Quiche. Ryo vicious expression turned to into a radiant smile; he tried his best not to chuckle.

"I see how it is." She commented. Her back turned towards the roast where she yanked the knife out and began to slice the meat so delicately. The room was so silent, you could hear the grains being cut and the crewmen from elsewhere were heard. Quiche and Ryo exited, as delightful as they both entered.

"Tart, can you get the barrels of wine?" Ichigo requested, softly.

The moment Tart's last foot left the kitchen her eyes started to water. Her vision was blurred which prevented her from cutting the meat. Tears dripped unto the pan, causing her to throw herself unto the floor. She thought she and the Captain were devoted to each other. How naïve. She was a disposable woman to the Captain who had only been traveling with the crew for three months. Ryo was the first-mate, who had been on this ship for much longer so no doubt Quiche would pick him over her. After all, he was the first mate, the one in command _if_ something happened to Quiche. Her eyes blinked as she hauled herself from the floor, fortifying her arm to hold herself up.

"Maybe, Ryo wants to be the Captain?" She thought to herself. "But, wouldn't he just throw him off a ledge or something?"

He did not seem like the type to just kill someone and be crowned victor. No, he was too intelligent and needed a plan in order to succeed. A light bulb went to in her head as her eyes shot wide.

"He does not know his weakness," she pondered. "Well, he must presumes its something with the women." All of a sudden, the sides of her mouth curled into a smile. "Maybe, that's Ryo's weakness?" She would have to fight fire with fire, or ice with ice, and come up with a better plan to defeat him. She liked the idea of throwing him off a ledge but she knew it would not work and Quiche would be mad and probably throw her off the ledge. Unless, she made Quiche like her more than Ryo. However, she would also need Ryo to like her in order to become vulnerable.

"Supper's ready." She hollered at the top of her lungs.

Her hands smeared her tears from her face as she took a deep breath. Pulling herself from the floor, she put on a smile and began plating the roast. The crew members sprinted to receive their meal while Ryo and Quiche were the stragglers. Some of the crew were finished by the time the captain and his first mate arrived.

"Looks good, sweety!" Quiche exclaimed as he shoved some meat down his throat.

"Thank you," She replied, with a beam.

Her eyes were fixed on Ryo; the moment his eyes weren't on the pair due to grabbing food, she rubbed Quiche's back, affectionately. She stood there, waiting patiently as she knew Ryo took longer to eat than Quiche. The second Quiche will stand up, he would lean in for a kiss before heading back to work. This annoyed her each day but would affect Ryo. She had to get him to leave before Quiche finished his dinner.

"Ryo, I sent Tart to get those barrels of wine and I cannot see him." She proposed. "Since you're so strong, he probably needs help."

Ryo glared at her for interrupting his meal for something so pathetic. However, the boss was there so he stormed out. As soon as he did Quiche leap off his seat and leaned in to kiss Ichigo on the cheek. She liked this routine, but loved it better now that it her plan was in order. However, she could not let him kiss her this time and pushed herself back.

"What is it?" He spoke, agitated.

"Well, I was sad that you stood up for Ryo and not me when we were having that argument."

"Like I said he is the first mate."

Water drops were forming in her eyes.

"I know, it's just I feel you don't like me." She cried.

"That's not true!"

He put an hand to her shoulder, which she batted away. Her back faced him.

"Sorry," he uttered as he shuffled towards the doorway.

Her diaphragm started to chuckle as the edges of her lips were reaching her eyes. Before she could celebrate her accomplishments, she dabbed the fake tears away and lowered her shirt.

"That brat got it open and is giving drinks." Ryo announced, peeved. Though she did not face him, she could see the dissatisfaction in his tone of voice.

"So, that means we are alone." She observed, as she turned around. He automatically raised an eyebrow an put a finger to his chin.

"How cunning."

"I wasn't mad at you earlier, it's just.." She spoke, seductively as she strutted towards him. "It's hard to be in love with someone when you're supposed to be with someone else."

She paused for a moment as her body froze and her eyes widened. Her cheeks pinked. The whole time on this trip she thought she needed to be with Masaya, which was difficult to love Quiche. However, she grew accustomed to his affection and consideration and he satisfied her the way Masaya couldn't: by being with her everyday. Masaya was a nice man whom she knew her entire life; however, his job prevented him from being with her. She was not supposed to be with him.

"Um.."

Ichigo blinked, which caused her to go back into reality. She flipped her hair, like some supermodel.

"I love you, Ryo."

Ryo's face was blank and almost as pale as Quiche's. His mouth was open and eyes were open. She moved closer to him and put an arm on his shoulder, which made a shiver go down her spine. Her heart was pounding and felt like a ticking time bomb inside her chest.

"We need to make this a secret." She stated. "If Quiche finds out, he will get the entire crew to kill us!"

"That's observant and bright." He mentioned.

He paused for a moment to digest the situation, which means she had to make her trick believable. He was having doubts. She looked at him in the eyes and secured that they met.

"You should stay away from me." His hand removed her arm and placed it to her side. "We don't want him to find out." He gave a sinister smile followed by a wink, before leaving the room.

She placed that hand, which held his above her heart and waited a minute. Afterwards, she jumped, throwing her arms in the air while she swayed her hips in a dance. Laughter erupted. Her body felt liberated as she let go of her excitement.

"What's so funny, kitten?"

Her arms, still in the air, froze as she her body felt like lead. Her jaw felt as if it were on floor while her eyes were glued open. Did he see what just happened? "Think of something!" she thought but her mind was blank. She didn't want to lose him based on trickery. What's worse was flirting with another man in order to protect the one you love. How can she explain that? Would he believe her?

"I know what yer trying to do."

She could feel her heart beat, slowly. Her execution was going to be prepared.

"Yer trying to get rid of 'em?" Quiche responded. "Don't worry, I've been trying to get rid of 'em for a year. I knew you had some wit and fire in you."

She could hear him step towards her, to the beat of her heart. He whispered in her ear: "That's one of the reasons why I love you." Her arms dropped and flung around his neck. His hands threw her waist towards him while her lips locked him into an embrace.

"It was really hard to say I love you to someone else." She gasped for air.

"Shut up!" His lips devoured hers.

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AN: I'm Back! Not for long... Thank you for the support. Without your reviews I'd probably would have left this story. I haven't watched this show in like five years. Also, I like Ryo (It took me Wikipedia to remind me who he was) and I always have. I thought it would be neat to make him a bad guy! Mwahaha. Maybe because when I was 18 (many moons ago) I thought he looked like Nick Carter from the Backstreet Boys, whom I adored.


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